Railway-tie



L. w. SWEENEY.

RAILWAY TIE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 4, I920.

Patented June 14, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUKE W. SWEENEY, OF TEBRE HAUTE, INDIANA.

RAILWAY-TIE.

Ap lication filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUKE W. SWEENEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ties used on railways to support. the rails and prevent them from spreading; and it consists in the no rel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed whereby the rails are secured in position and are free to expand and contract.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side View of a tie constructed according to this invention and showing the rails in cross-section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

The tieis preferably formed of metal, and it comprises rectangular end plates 4, which are connected together by a relatively narrow bar 5. The bar 5 has a downwardly projecting rib 6 on its under side, arranged longitudinally of the bar and parallel to its sides, and adapted to engage with the ground so that the tie cannot slide lengthwise of the rails. A rib 8 is formed on the outer portion of each end plate 4, and the rails 9 rest on the plates 4, with their outside flanges bearing against the positioning ribs 8.

In order to secure the rails to the tie. and permit them to expand and contract long itudinally under changes of temperature, screwthreaded bolts 10 are screwed into holes in the plates 4, and have conical segments 12 at their tops which project over the bottom flanges of the rails. The conical segments prevent the rails from rising, but when the flat hides of the segments are turned toward the rails, the rails can be lifted and removed from the ties.

If desired, locking plates or clips 15, provided with bolts 16, can be applied to assist in holding down the rails. When a rai joint comes over one of the plates 4, the segments and locking plates or clips bear on the bottom flanges 18 of the fish plates 19,

and the fish plates are provided with lugs 20 on their end portions which engage with the ground below the rails.

The tie is also prevented from creeping by projections 21, formed on the lower ends of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14, 1921.

1-, 1920. Serial N0. 408,192.

the screwthreaded bolts 10, and adapted to engage with the ground. The bolts 10 have rectangular heads 24, above the segments, to enable them to be revolved by any approved form of wrench which can be applied to them.

The stop lugs 20 on the fish-plates are arranged normally at a little distance from the plates 4 and one pair on each side of them, so that the rail joint can move to a limited extent longitudinally of the rails in each direction. The lugs stop the sliding movement when they come in contact with the plates. A single anchoring rib 6 is an advantage, when arranged at the middle part of the tie, as it leaves the ground solid and undisturbed under the end portions of the tie and the rails, and permits ballast to be packed under the end portions of the tie without meeting any obstruction.

What I claim is:

l. The combination, with a railroad tie provided with means for anchoring it to the ground to prevent it from sliding thereon, of rails supported by the tie, fishplates se cured to the rails and provided with stop lugs on their end portions which project downwardly on each side of the tie and limit the longitudinal sliding movements of the rails, the said lugs being spaced apart from the sides of the tie to permit the rails and fish-plates to slide longitudinally, and fastening devices which prevent the said fish-plates and rails from sliding laterally.

2. The combination, with a metallic railroad tie provided at its middle part with an anchoring rib arranged longitudinally of the tie and adapted to prevent it from sliding on the ground longitudinally of the rails, of rails supported by the tie, fishplates secured to the rails and provided with stop lugs on their end portions which project downwardly on each side of the tie and limit the longitudinal sliding movements of the rails, the said lugs being spaced apart from the sides of the tie to permit the rails and fish-plates to slide longitudinally, and fastening devices which prevent the said fish-plates and rails from sliding laterally.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

LUKE W. SWEENEY. 

